Photonic Propulsion

Hey there! Thanks for tuning with TMC.

It's has been long since I last posted! anyways I am back again with this mind blowing post!
So here's a brief description: ever thought of reaching 1/4 the speed of light? NO, right??! well it might be possible in the near future!

It may sound like a Science Fiction, right? but wait! , don't you think everything we see around us was once a Sci-Fi? The computers , the Internet all those gadgets and the most important of all - ELECTRICITY, which is like the boss of everything.Okay , let's get back to the point.

So, what is PHOTONIC PROPULSION ?  The term sounds like a  photon driven launching system i.e. a mechanism in which the momentum of photons would be used to drive spaceships and rovers through the sea of space  (I will come back to this later) . You might think what the hell am I saying , that's what is , the principle behind such a propulsion system is to reduce the time taken to travel through space and to make the space programs more money efficient. Currently it costs about $10,000 to transport 1kg of anything to LEO( Low Earth Orbit). And around 95% of this cost is of just fuel! , so if we could find a way to eliminate chemical propulsion which requires fuel we could cut down the costs of space missions by a huge amount.

Artists conception of a laser thruster.

For such a propulsion system we need to build a laser that  could is so powerful that it can accelerate a spacecraft attached to a space sail. The laser should be 10 km wide on each side! and it would require a highly productive solar cell that could trigger the light beam. The space-sail too has its own terms and conditions! it says that it will exist only if it is around 1 micron(1/10000 of a millimetre!!) also it should be strong enough to withstand the fast and furious motion of the spacecraft.

Diagram depicting the working of a laser thruster.

So for now that's it, I will get back to this topic again because needs so much discussion! till then tell me what do you think about such a revolutionising idea that could change the way we used to sail through the universe!!

Written By: Aviral Srivastava
Find me on Instagram : avirals_22
email me at : aviralsrivastava12@gmail.com

Mercury Transit

Hey!, welcome back and thanks for tuning in with the TMC.
Perhaps I am a little late for this post hope you don't mind it!

So here's the picture of the Transit!
Mercury is the spot near the top.

Mercury Transit!

If you have any queries regarding the Transit check out my previous post,
'Mercury Transit'.

By:-
Aviral Srivastava
Find me on Instagram: avirals_22
Email me at: aviralstivastava12@gmail.com

Mercury Transit

Finally the wait is over!! you don't have to be patient anymore. Yes! you read it right , only a few hours to go for which, perhaps , the entire population is waiting. And this eagerness is for the most awaited event of this month i.e. Mercury Transit , the  pass of the planet Mercury from over the sun.This post will give you a brief description about the transit and will guide you so that you can safely observe it without causing harm to your precious eyes. 

So what's is Mercury Transit? , let us for a while leave the word Mercury and focus on Transit.Transit in Astronomy means pass by of an celestial from over another celestial body i.e. when one body appears to move across the other one, these observations are seen by someone that lie on either side of the two bodies. For a transit to occur the three bodies should be in a perfect alignment such that they lie in the same plane. 

The above definition may seem like a bit confusing, right? No problem I will explain it in some simple words. Imagine three collinear points on a line, since they are collinear it means they are perfectly aligned to lie on one single line. Replace these points with celestial bodies and the definition becomes simple. Perhaps you would now think why these three bodies need to be in a line , lets us reposition one the three points , now can one straight line pass through these three? No,right? This is the answer to the question!

So , now we can say pass by of Mercury from over the Sun is called Mercury Transit, we can imagine this as a Solar Eclipse where the cause is Mercury instead of the Moon.
                

Places where the Transit is visible.

  Since, there is no other way except through telescopes and binoculars, you need to be very cautious while observing the transit because one little mistake and you will lose your eyes forever! Follow the steps below:-

- Choose a good quality solar filter and check for any scratches on it, it should be perfectly smooth.

- If you don't have a telescope or a binocular then I advise you not to look at the transit through naked eyes , it won't cause blindness but still it can damage your eyes. Look For a live streaming ,you can check  this link , NASA is also going to provide a live telecast at NASA TV. 

Mercury will begin its transit at 7:12 am EST on May 9 and take about 7.5 hours to fully cross the face of the sun. The Following  animation from NASA shows Mercury's projected path: 

By

Aviral Srivastava

Find me on Instagram as: avirals_22

Email me at: aviralsrivastava12gmail.com